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[Matt]

I'm typing this while sitting on my couch, through a TV, while Media Jukebox is playing tunes in the background through my hifi.  I'm in geek heaven.

But what we've been trying to figure out lately is whether Jim (who has a similar setup) and I are just two guys in need of a social life, or whether strapping a computer to a stereo and a TV is the way of the future.

Nikolay is in the other camp.  He recently bought a DVD / JPG / MP3 player.  Tomorrow, he's getting a cable box that does internet browsing.  He's a dedicated hardware guy -- computers are just too complicated and expensive.

We can't agree.

So, we'd like to open it up to other people.  Would you ever consider hooking a computer to your TV?  Why or why not?  What do you think is the future of home multimedia: computers or dedicated hardware?  And does a Media Jukebox that cleanly integrates a home entertainment system fit into that future?

Thanks everyone.

-Matt
JRiver, Inc.

[Ilmar]

Hi

I got too much hooked up to my TV already! there seem to be more cables going in and out of there than my computer! Seriously, for me this route is a long way off. I have never had much joy connecting PC to TV (PAL) and I have roadtested a lot of supposedly cutting edge kit.

Maybe when I get that 50" plasma screen, ditch VCRs completely for DVD RAM and have a cable box (UK) that integrates properly, I could move in that direction. But for now, its the PCs on the home network and some pricey speakers.

Ilmar

[Severian]

I'm in agreement with you, Matt, but I'm a geek. Got no problem copping to that. After my next motherboard/CPU/RAM upgrade, the parts of the current computer are getting saved to assemble a second PC to connect to the stereo and driven by MJ all the way.

Dunno what to suggest to you. Need to make sure you have an interface that is dedicated to clear viewing at 640x480 for NTSC, and maybe some additional remote support. Not really sure. More later after I do it.

[KingSparta]

>> So, we'd like to open it up to other people. Would you ever consider hooking a computer to your TV?
Maybe when I Get An HDTV

The Quality Of The Old Tv Standard Is Just Too Low Of Video Quality.

>> Media Jukebox that cleanly integrates a home entertainment system fit into that future?
Future At HDTV

Now Maybe If Media Jukebox Could Take Advantage Of The New And Current XM Satellite Radio (Are There Any PC Cards For This?)

"Media JukeBox Radio"

[mike]

i guess im lucky because i got a tv right above my computer but i dont even watch it.  its hard to be on your computer and watching tv at the same time.

[KingSparta]

>> its hard to be on your computer and watching tv at the same time.
You must be an old MSDOS User

Multi Tasking Is The In Thing

[sekim]

Would do it if future connections were less complicated then they are now. FIREWIRE comes to mind. Trying to remember where all those cables and wires went after a recent entertainment center swap was a nightmare. Would also have to move in with the dogs because of the need for an upgrade to HDTV. As long as they stayed on their side of the couch it wouldn't be so bad. Maybe I need a life....

[Cotton-Eyed|PLS|Loo]

I have no doubt in my mind that I want to be able to use all my displays for any of the video capable devices I use - same with all the controls, same with all the audio, same with all my data regardless of where it resides or who 'owns' it. I guess that with somegood luck that's about 20 years out for me.

Today I'd be psyched to get an affordable-ish DLP or Plasma display, 60"  with DVI input and native resolution of 2Kx1.5K so I can drop my laptop in favor of a wireless keyboard and mouse and put the Video-PC (dvd player, PVR, personal video ...) and general purpose PC (web, email,word, quicken ...) with the audio PC(MJ8, single coax digital out over 60' RG6 to my pre-amp) - somewhere else. With current resolutions I can't email, read etc without being phsyically uncomfortable after a short period. I've got a decent display capable of 480p/1080i - I feel fortunate that I haven't used 640x480 for productivity in a long time). With analog inputs I couldn't put a video PC far enough away to be satisfied. As it is the sound of my tivo drives me nuts when it's quiet in here [uses both hands to point at ears].

Come to thing of it - can you use a PC game-gun as a mouse on your TV? That should make things even more fun!

[sekim]

Forgot to add...

Listening to: 'Got the Life' from 'Follow the Leader' by 'Korn' on Media Jukebox

[claudio]

the HTPC will remain geek territory until it becomes an integrated HW device (sort of a PVR |PLS| dvd/cd player /burner/ networkable with a streamline ui that does not look like a pc at all). The tivo is a good example of what I'm talking about. Unfortunately when it will become that, it will also be half thew fun for most of us geek. I think this is still a few years off, but in my optinion, the only way to make it in that market for a multimedia sw company is to go the OEM way.

Don't get me wrong, I love this stuff: I have 2 souped up multimedia PC with tv tuners and other goodies, several wireless gadgets (video/audio transmitter, rf remote etc) and a 50 mW stereo FM transmitter that beams my music up to 500 feet from my home. I'm sure I'll continue to add and tweak, but I just don't see a classical PC centric patchwork solution becoming mainstream anytime soon. We do it know becase for us the jorney is as much as fun as the final goal, but that  is far from the norm for home entertainement

Claudio

[Michael Horton]

I don't watch too much tv--I use the internet as a diversion instead. If my internet experience was via my tv, I'd likely not be on the internet. I haven't had a stereo since my last divorce a couple of decades and a half ago. I listen to NPR in the car, but I haven't listened to music on the radio since, well--since I had that stereo way back when. I go to the movies a lot, but that's not likely helpful. My sole TV, a 1989 42" Mitsubishi, gets used to watch the Olympics (Summer and Winter), CNN, and DVD's of movies that I miss at the theater (or those that never see a theater), and has some Klipsch Promedia 5.1 surround-sound speakers attached, but they're kind of weak for this purpose. I like my MJ/Turtle Beach Santa Cruz/Klipsch Pro-media 4.1/Sony MDR-V700 headphones setup real well. The majority of people that I know fit into a similar mold. I don't know how normal or average this is.

There's lots of ways to be a geek. I like the band "Boyracer," likely the first group to work the term "IRC" in to a song. They also have a song called "Computer Camp."

Listening to: 'Forget The Radio' from 'Hanging Out In Heaven' by 'Marty Willson-Piper' on Media Jukebox

Michael

Did you really expect this thread to be helpful?

[Scronch]

I don't watch much TV other than the NFL and some college hoops, but I'll probably tie a PC into the system someday.  I say "system" because we haven't gone the home theater route.  I can't stand home theater set-ups.  The 5.1 audio just gives me a headache.  So we have 5 or 6 TV's scattered all over.  I don't want to tie a PC to just one of them, so I'm really waiting for the home video network to evolve--and become affordable.  I don't waste a lot of time or money on geek items until the prices drop and the bugs are worked out.

We've stayed with analog cable service to avoid those darn boxes at every TV.  I think what is needed is the ability to run the incoming digital cable/dish signal into a single PC, and then route the desired channels across a home video network.  Provide security/parental control ('Debbie Does Dallas' in my kids room is a no-no), and password-protected/encrypted logging of everything if desired.  And accomplish all this without going to jail.

Scronch

[Bob L.]

A rose by any other name, you know.

First off, I appreciate the direction you and Jim are coming from, especially as stewards for MJ.  Having an eye on the future while creating cool stuff in the present is a great combination.

Everybody has different levels of understanding, appreciation and inclination for using computers in their daily life.  The trick in creating products seems to be hitting that golden mean between functionality and ease of use for a sweet spot of users.

Finding MJ was the impetus for me to add a dedicated music server for my music library.  It sits inside a bookcase cabinet next to my JVC 8010VBK receiver feeding it directly through the front panel USB input.  The JVC acts as the center for all the audio and video (capable of switching six of each including composite, svhs and component video).  A little bit underpowered but an amazing value for $260 at etronics a couple of months ago. My family and I can now use media server at our desks while also the stereo in the living room plays something else.

In my case my dvd player also plays cds, mp3 and CD|PLS|G for karaoke of all things.  Playing from a PC would be a problem, I think.  I tend to surf from my main work computer and doing it from the living room media system might represent a conflict of interests with the other family members.  I do think that we are all headed in the direction of a media server that pipes things around the home but whether that's a remote server managed by a third party or a NAS in the basement, who knows.

I think the scary part of having a computer at the very center of audio and video is the committment to dedicating it to that purpose to reduce the still sizable fear of crashes and software meltdowns.  XP seems alot more stable, but we're all in the early phase of its use.  

The nice thing about dedicated hardware is sometimes its limitations and simplicity of functionality.  The flexibility and control that MJ already gives may be overwhelming for many people, however I find it a consistent source of new and fun discoveries.  My wife threw a party for my 50th birthday last weekend and my "geek" friends were suitably impressed.  She's now using only a small piece of the features after a five minute introduction, and that's enough for her.  Would she have set up on her own?  No way, but now it's part of her music experience.

A bit of a ramble here.  I guess the answer to your question will be different for everyone.  I do think there's room for some paid consulting to people with deeper pockets and a minimum of technocomfort level.  On the other hand some will always have a problem (did you see Ozzie freaking out with his home theatre remote on MTV?).

Anyways, good luck with everything.  I'll be along for the ride.

Regards,

Bob L.

Listening to: 'No More "I Love You's"' from 'Medusa' by 'Annie Lennox' on Media Jukebox

[Mike]

I have my PC hooked to my TV in my living room.....that allows me to show stuff to a group of people instead of having one or two cram behind me at my desk.

This is great when one is looking at pictures, but when it comes to text it is horrible.  I am using a simple splitter type system that sends a TV signal one way and a PC signal to the monitor.  I think it is made by TRUST.

It's a cheap solution.

The good news is that I can increase the Font size in Media player so that I can control it from the TV in the living room with my wireless mouse and keyboard that I have in the living room as well.

I want it to be simple...the test is my wife.  If she can do it then I have succeeded.....if she complains....it's back to the drawing board.  So I do not want to have to change the resolution on the PC back and forth from 1024 to 40 and back.....plus that screws up all the icons on the desktop (drives me crazy).

I believe that the TV is not destined to become a monitor.....it will be the other way around.  I think that the monitor is going to become our next TV.  People will buy a monitor for the office and one for the living room.

Now my questions for all you geeks

1. How can I increase the quality on the TV of Text?

2. Stereo Link....is it worth it for the sound?  I have read all sorts of reviews and it seems that if you have a recent soundcard that is of decent quality you will not get any difference.....is that true?  Should I shell out the dough for this toy?

Thanks in advance,

Mike

[zevele1]

In this new flat,i broke much of the walls and built one having in mind to plug anything from the computer

To make short,inside the living room i did an open room.using to existing walls,building a new one
In this open room ,i have computer and stereo.When sitting at the computer,i have the speakers at around 5 meters from me.
The problem is that if you put a tv in your salon,you just waste the decoration.So i do not have tv in the living room
What i plan to do is put on the wall in front of me a plasma\flat tv.If you want to hide it,you just need a rug that you use as a blind
Not a next week project when i see the price of the first ones on the market

But i am not sure if i will get ride of the 19" monitor

Wires is a problem that can be solve in many ways if the house or flat is yours
Wireless in another hand lead to many problems

But when you see most of the computer againts a wall,and people not even able to run a few meters cable to the stereo,look like that all this stuff is not for next year for average people

[Gatobrit]

I'd love to link a computer to my home theatre set-up. I'm sure the audio quality would be excellent. Having said that I've thought about the Sonic box thingy to take USB output to the receiver or the Harmon Kardon unit that does the same thing to the optical digital input but I still haven't purchased one.

I'm not sure about hooking up the video out to my TV - I'm with KingSparta - I don't think the video quality is there yet. I know my wife would have a real problem having the TV on during a party - socially rather than technically. I haven't shown her the "Slide Show" plug-in yet - maybe this would sway her towards giving it a try.

I have Dish (used to have Digital Cable and did the same thing) service and if we have a party we simply tune to one of the CD channels, play back through my receiver and turn the TV off. We don't control the tunes playing but we do control the type of music (usually contemporary jazz). If we're just at home together we tune in to one of the same music channels and cook / eat / whatever. It seems to work pretty well for us.

I get 90% of what I want from this canned music source. The other 10% I can get by burning a MP3 CD-R and playing this on my DVD player (I don't even have a CD player in my HT setup these days). I haven't actually played an audio CD through my home theater in months.

The other issue is getting sound output from my office / computer to the home theatre. I have a laptop and I can hook up locally but this is inconvenient to set up and therefore it's unlikely to be done that often. Getting music wirelessly across the house is still in it's infancy and the drop in audio quality seems too high at the moment.

So to summarize...

1) I get what I want from the sources I have already - Dish CD channels |PLS| MP3 CD-R's on my DVD player.
2) I don't think we'd want the TV cycling through anything when we're playing to music either at a party or when we're on our own.
3) If I wanted to do this the cabling / estetics (sp?) / sound quality challenges are more than I care to deal with at the moment.

[Mysticeti]

It’s been over a year and a half since we hooked up a PC to our TV expressly for MJ.  However, as has been said a few times before, this setup is still in the realm of geekdom.  Is it the wave of the future?  Only if "PCs" can be made as stable as other consumer electronic devices such as TVs and DVD players.  When I say "PCs" I mean the hardware, the OS, and the applications.  If these aren't all very nearly bulletproof Mr. & Mrs. J. Q. Public are going to get frustrated and discouraged and hit the "return" button.

Ease of use is another concern but I think it's a distant second to stability.  Many of the DVDs I rent have confusing, obtuse, or otherwise difficult to navigate menus.  Yet DVDs and DVD players are flying off the shelves like hot cakes.  I don't mind a confusing UI so much as I hate it when the DVD skips because the cad who rented it before me smeared peanut butter all over it (right at a critical point in the movie of course).  Besides I think there's a generation of people out there now who have been exposed to computers and are used to the complexity involved.

Whether or not the TV becomes a de facto display device for PCs may come down to several factors (besides stability and ease of use)…

o There's the display quality (as pointed out earlier).  Cheap and ubiquitous HDTV screens would certainly help but I don’t see this happening anytime soon. In the mean time keeping the MJ interface relatively clutter free and tailorable for resolutions at or under 800x600 is important.

o How effective the RIAA and the MPAA is in crippling consumer devices may push more people into using their PC in lieu of consumer devices (there will always be hacks that allow PCs to do what consumer devices cannot).

o The number of TV “peripherals” that can be replaced by a PC.  Many PCs ship with DVD & CD drives and PVR like capabilities, etc.  You can free up a lot of shelf space by using a PC.  But the PC better not choke if asked to record one (or more) TV shows while playing back another TV show while streaming MP3s to another PC on the net....  If consolidating functionality into a PC leads to such problems I’d rather stick with dedicated devices.

o How easy it is to demonstrate the benefits of PC-like consumer entertainment.  I rave to anyone who will listen about how great MJ is and how super ReplayTV is but most people just don’t get it when they hear about it.  After they’ve seen it at least once or twice, or better yet used it, they start to see the light.

[Badger]

Hey Geeks,

I'm an intrigued by the concept of running all my audio and video through my entertainment center, but here's a list of acronymns I don't understand from this thread. Please help me out?  NPR, PVR, NAS, DLP, HTPC, IRC...

[JimH]

Here's another thread on this subject:

http://www.musicex.com/cgi-bin/interact/NeoBoard.pl?Action=ShowPost&Board=inter&Post=7976

[JimH]

Badger,

NPR National Public Radio?
PVR Personal Video Recorder (usually PC software)
NAS ?
DLP ?
HTPC Home Theater PC (see AVSForum forum on this)
IRC Internet Relay Chat

[Sam]

The PC will improve the user experience only when things get complex.  For simple tasks like watching a DVD today, you don't have to do much more than select an option and press play, and so not many people will go through the trouble of connecting their PC to their TV for this alone.  If you can add new functionality to this experience with a PC, then the answer could be different.

As for using the TV as a PC monitor... the resolution on a TV is awful.  I have a million pixels on my monitor and I'll never give that up.  My PC is connected to the TV, and I have a wireless keyboard and mouse, but I haven't used the TV as a monitor since the first time I tried.

A big opportunity for PCs, I think, will be the successors of TiVo and Replay.  These DVRs have great capabilities, but configuring, navigating, and programming them using the supplied remote control is difficult.  For those of you who haven't tried them, imagine trying to use MJ8 with a very low resolution monitor and the buttons on your cell phone.  No mouse.  No letter keys.  With only one window and no frames (panes).

I think the PC will play a role in other consumer electronics markets only where its keyboard, mouse, and high resolution display make them easier to use.  (I left out hard drive deliberately because it's already appearing in products w/o the PC.)  However, there will always be many people who will never want the level of control that you can get with a PC.  For them, they're happy just to press play.

As for the future of Media Jukebox, I'd love for you to expand into TiVo functionality, integrate with Sony's entire product line, and connect everything together wirelessly with Bluetooth.

[Mr.X]

DLP: Digital Light Processing TI's page on DLP
NAS: Network Attached Storage Some company's info on NAS

[AlonsoN]

Sometimes it's nice to come to a thread late, so you can read what the collective thought and see what percolates up.

Matt asked a neat question, and I loved reading what folks have come up with, given the passage 2|PLS| years of digital audio and the Somewhat More Sophisticated Than Your Average Digital Audio User that MJ selects for.

I'd distill what I heard down to a few generally agreed on bits o' info:

-TV's don't make acceptable monitors.  Maybe HDTV or some such will solve this, buy you gotta ask when will the prices be attractive to the majority of the SMSTYADAUs.

-When there is more than one person in the house, most folks don't want the video display to also have to do control duty.  When there is a party/wife/kids at the house it would not work to open MJ on the TV to pick a playlist, etc.

-(Corollary from other threads) Remote control of your AVPC via Girder and expensive remote is an incomplete solution not likely to pass the Wife Test.

-Wiring/connectivity is a problem.  I have a variety of equipment of various vintages, and wiring it up is a serious bear.  Most folks are in the same boat, they won't throw out all the components just so they can go buy everything with the flavor of the month interconnect.

Synthesizing that I'd like to propose two things that together would I think appeal not just to the SMSTYADAU, but also to a broader audience of folks who think maybe it would be smart to use the PC to the work of a heap of expensive, soon obsolete, incompatible, each with their own remote, black boxes.

1. Solve the connectivity issue.  What I need is something that I can plug everything into, one way or another, that MJ can control.  A hub.  Much easier to understand and wire up, rather than the connect the dots spaghetti mess that we have to deal with now.  Plug everything in, tell MJ what is there, let it figure out how to get the A and V where it should go.

2. Solve the control issue AND the display issue.  How about a wireless Digital Assistant (Palm) app. and plug in?  Seems to me that the guy that sees the PC as an answer to lots of proprietary black boxes would rather use his Palm to control the setup than buy another expensive black box (remote) to control his black boxes.  The displays are good enough to do the job now, and getting better.  It's way neat and elegant solution.  And it could be worked on now while we wait for the hardware side of the connectivity issue to get worked out.

Anecdotal: I was just at the house of a guy who is plenty smart, has lots of cash, and loves his toys.  There were 7(!) remotes on the coffee table in the living room of his beach house, and a PC used to connect to AOL in the office.  Some of the remotes had instructions taped to them so he could remember the umpteen step, 5 remote process to turn on the TV, cable box, amp, dolby box, DVD to play a movie.  Oy.  There are tens of millions of folks like that out there.  None of them will go for the AVPC as it currently stands.  Make it easier to set up and control his toys and get rid of all the remotes that he does not know how to use, and sell a ton of units.

[Cmagic]

I walked into my living room after a very tiring day at work. I'm really
exhausted. I feel blue because this project I'm working on is not making any progresses
but mainly because I had an argument with my wife yesterday. She decided to go to her folk's
for a couple of weeks. I'm feeling really tired and blue. I sat down in the sofa and tried
to relax. At this very moment, the NPU (Neural Processing Unit) switched on the plasmoid
3D wall screen and started showing some nice relaxing countryside pictures. The NPU also triggered MJ 28.567RC with a playlist of some of my favorite songs. Of course, MJ selected only
the songs that fitted well with my blue mood of the moment. The BWA (Brain Wawe Analyzer) connected to MJ precisely detected my feeling through a discrete quantum analysis of my alpha and beta waves. MJ could then select the songs that would comfort me best among a database made of roughly 456,789,000,000 songs (yes, I Know EmperorSparta has 10 times more).Anyway, my NPU and the new version of MJ make a very good team. They have the control of the entire entertainment system of my home: music, wall screen, even atmosphere and climate control.
You should see them at work when I invite some friends for a party ! I don't even think about
the music and the psyche-cellular visualization wall arts I just enjoy the party with my friends. MJ will know exactly what genre of music, what tempo, what dance, what light is right at every moment to make the party a true enjoyable experience. This is so great !
Oh, while I was talking, MJ served me my favourite drink (1/3 cointreau, 1/3 orange, 1/3 champagne), MJ knows it's the right mix when you feel blue.
My grand dad Cmagic told me about the early versions of MJ (he was using 8.0 I believe).
He told me that he had to use a cat, no pardon me a mouse, and a keyboard to control MJ.
He also told me about ripping, encoding, burning (was it that hot ?), very, very strange times !
That was the good old time he told me. Well I'll probably tell the same to my grand sons
when they'll use MJ 67.0.

I'm feeling really sleepy know, it was a hard day, my wife will probably call soon...ZZZZZ

- MJ detected that his alpha waves were getting more periodic, it dimmed the lights in the
living room, played a soft and gentle song and said good night. -

good night to you all.

[JimH]

very funny....

Where did you get the NPU?  What do they cost?

[Cmagic]

The NPU will be available someday in the future but we're working on some
of the technology today

[cjdshaw]

I've got one of these babies connected to my TV:

http://www.spacewalker.com/english/mcs_detail_info.asp?number=142
with MJ 8.0, Girder, an IRMan and a universal remote control. 40Gb of mp3 music and DiVX TV shows and movies available at the click of a button. Sweeeeeet. The TV-out's not as good as it could be though, so I'm saving up for a plasma with HD15 input. I'm also buying an Abit UA-11 to give me SP-DIF output to my AV amp.

[zevele1]

Lost with the grand children of CMagic..........

The new plane tv are what they call 'plasma screen'?
Do this will be a good 'monitor'?

Even if yes,still a problem; around $ 5 000 .Do not know in US,but here it is BIG money for a tv!

Listening to: 'City Streets' from 'Black Cat' by 'Ze'ev Tene' on Media Jukebox

[sekim]

They're BIG MONEY everywhere. Years away from real affordability.

Gonna watch 'Harry Potter' tonight. Get this, through the Playstation 2. Love that thing.

[Oogi]

I do have 2 stereos connected to my computer,

And I would connect more if I could, I'd like to connect a TV also,

Maybe someday, but not soon


BTW I'm not a geek..

It is just the way things should be!

Connected to the computer..

Even one of my guitars used to be connected

I wish I had money for all these toys.

[Charlemagne 8]

We're all geeks here. That's why we're here. At least, that's why we keep coming back.
CVIII

[JimH]

Alonso, I think you really summarized it well.  I don't agree completely, but you came very close.

On HDTV, Best Buy sells a Samsung 27 inch for about $800.  I bought a Sony 32" about a year ago for $1700.  They aren't ridiculous anymore.  TV stations must convert soon, so it is going to happen.

[Charlemagne 8]

I think that broadcast TV stations have a deadline that they must meet to convert to HDTV. About half of the ones in Nashville have already converted.

[TURBO]

I created my own .bmp logo, burned it to my award motherboard bios and enabled hiden bios settings, no way ever seen by the general public. When I finished, I converted my RioVolt sp-250 to Irriver, editing the .hex firmware and flashed into blakie(I called like that). Geeks, who said that?. FUTURE?. You guys aint seen nothing yet. A house full of multiplexers, etc,etc........

[Chico]

Cute story!  Shows imagination.  I got a big kick out of it.
The only thing ya missed was the holographic photon imager to produce the surround view to go with the 84 channel surround sound system with phase tuned audio generators (all, of course, controlled by MJ), playing your favorite MP12.

[TURBO]

Ha, and you dont even know where I have a oscilloscope connected to..Hi,hi,hi......

[AlonsoN]

JimH: Thanks, I thought so.

Two years ago I bought a very highly rated 27" TV from Best Buy for $179.  $621 is a significant gelt delta.  Yes it will come, but it's not here yet, and I did say "but you gotta ask when will the prices be attractive to the majority of the SMSTYADAUs."

Anyway even given that the TV could be a decent display, you would not want to do your control on the display when there are other folks in the room.  In a party situation it would be distracting/embarrassing/gauche, and in a family viewing situation it would interrupt the movie and/or just PO the wife, never a good plan.  Heck, I hate it when I have to adjust the volume, or mute the program and the effing TV covers the screen with stuff.  Even worse when the show has subtitles and they get covered for 5sec. just because I blipped the volume.  Much better to have the control device and display separate from the video display, don't you think?

I think the HDTV deadline came and went with little notice.

Personally I'm waiting for those cute little projectors to get a little cheaper and brighter.  They have the resolution, can be driven by anything, take up no room in the room, and can display BIG w/o having a room dominating screen.  My 'concept' is to take a section of wall, apply screen material to it, surround the material with a fancy picture frame, and put a small tag next to it saying something like "Study in Silver #15 - $6502"  Gauche is ok if it's silly, I say.  I'll spend the money when I can have a big screen w/o the room dominating presence.

[PhatPhreddy]

You do know that you can get a Panasonic AE100 16:9 projector for $1400 delivered do you ?? How much cheaper do you want it... www.pricejapan.com

Anyone dissapointed with PC over SVid connection needs to understand it is the bandwidth of the connection not the PC thats the problem... Any PC TV connection needs to be high resolution to get the benefits... www.avsforum.com 's HTPC section deals with all this in detail...

The quality of PC DVD decoding and scaling rivals that of anything sub 30k in the video world due to an all digital signal chain...

[ciggieoxo]

When houses come with flat, large, wall displays in every room and voice/data/video/broadband cabling built into the walls as commonly as electric outlets are built into the walls today, I'll be pleased to take advantage of it. Especially if I can display art on my flat displays when they aren't in other use.

For the present I don't see anything appealing on TV; however, I'm not giving up hope that TV might someday have content that interests me.

[Mysticeti]

Badger, (or anyone else suffering from acronym overload)

Try this for a resource:

http://labs.google.com/glossary

It works fairly well AFAICT